The story in Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix was perfectly set up by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with several elements of one book paralleled by the other. Though a close look at each installment in the Harry Potter franchise reveals unique adventures for Harry and his friends, taking a zoomed-out observation of the series as a whole creates a different picture. Several of the books have a parallel counterpart, with common themes and character focuses from one to another. This allows for an exciting balance within the overarching series.

The Harry Potter books reflecting each other in this way means the series follows a chiastic structure, where elements of a story begin to repeat themselves in reverse order at a certain point. In Harry's story, things start going in reverse after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This means that Order of the Phoenix reflects Prisoner of Azkaban,...